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Fairbanks man indicted on kidnapping, assault charges

FAIRBANKS (AP) -- A 45-year-old Fairbanks man has been indicted on felony charges he kidnapped two women and sexually assaulted them in his apartment in two separate incidents last year.

Fairbanks police said Charles R. McCraven was arrested without incident at his home Thursday. He faces 10 felony charges, including first- and second-degree sexual assault and kidnapping, and two misdemeanor counts of fourth-degree assault.

McCraven is accused of threatening to hurt a 41-year-old woman he had met at a bar, then sexually assaulting her at his house Sept. 3. According to the indictment, McCraven allegedly dragged the woman by the hair during the attack. The woman was sexually assaulted for eight to 10 hours before McCraven let her leave, police Detective Tara Tippett said.

The woman went to a downtown business and called 911. An ambulance took her to Fairbanks Memorial Hospital for an evaluation.

The second incident occurred Dec. 8. The woman, went to McCraven's house with a male friend who soon left. Investigators said the 27-year-old woman was sexually and physically assaulted. She managed to flee his house in the nude. Once outside the house, several neighbors noticed her screaming and yelling and called police, Tippett said.

He has already pleaded no contest to a charge of fourth-degree assault in another case, reported in August 1999.

According to court records in that case, a female acquaintance said McCraven blocked the door to his apartment in order to keep her in, then put his hands around her throat. She alleges McCraven then sexually assaulted her for over 15 hours and made threats to kill her.

''All three cases are very similar in circumstances and details,'' Tippett said. ''I wouldn't be surprised if there other victims.''

If convicted of the latest charges, McCraven could get up to 30 years for each of the four counts of first-degree sexual assault, up to 99 years for each of the two counts of kidnapping and 10 years for each of the three counts of second-degree sexual assault.

Tippett said McCraven has an extensive criminal background, including several assaults from when he lived in South Carolina and Texas prior to moving to Fairbanks several years ago.

McCraven is being held at Fairbanks Correctional Center on a $100,000 bail.